The Tackle: Mark Robinson’s AFL likes and dislikes from Round 18
It’s time to end the annual debate about drawn games for good, writes Mark Robinson. This is his solution to ending the “dullness of draws”.
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Does Melbourne lack the killer instinct to be a true premiership contender?
The Demons have a formidable record against top-eight teams, but continue to stumble against sides they won’t face in September.
It was a game which ended with arguably the most follow feeling in footy — a draw — and Mark Robinson wonders whether it’s time the stalemate was scrapped.
But it certainly wasn't all negatives in Round 18.
Sam Walsh, Peter Wright and an unlikely Hawthorn hero have come in for praise after another dramatic weekend of footy.
Check out Robbo’s likes and dislikes from Round 18 below.
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DISLIKES
1. Demons lack killer instinct
They lost to Adelaide (round 10), to Collingwood (round 13), to the Giants (round 16) and on Saturday night drew with Hawthorn.
Three of the teams at one stage this season were candidates for the wooden spoon.
What is it with Melbourne? Are they big heads, thinking they just have to turn up and they’ll win?
After the Pies loss, coach Simon Goodwin said the loss wasn’t about attitude and more about the breakdown of their system.
Another theory is players are expecting victory and thus not breaking their backs to attain it.
They lost the tackle count to Hawks by 23 on Saturday night and while Melbourne missed easy shots at goal, it was obvious the Hawks were more desperate in the contest.
That’s four mulligans for Melbourne this year against teams they should beat, remembering they have beaten the Doggies, smacked Brisbane and beat Port Adelaide in the past seven rounds.
Surely, mentality is an issue.
2. Tale of two quarters
Last week, Collingwood swamped Richmond in a blistering last quarter and in the corresponding quarter yesterday, butchered any opportunity they had of winning. This was circle work. Collingwood laid five tackles and Carlton six in the final quarter. Complementing such a poor physical effort was Collingwood’s inability to find targets. They kicked at 47 per cent by foot up against a team not intent to tackle. They were smashed at the contest and lost contested possession by 13 and that seemingly sucked life out of the team. It happened so quickly, just as it did last week for them against Richmond, leaving several questions to be answered. Like, where was the effort when the whips were cracking?
3. Kangas after the trip to the West
Sensational last week in the wet against West Coast and couldn’t back it up yesterday. It’s not a surprise. They flew home after a bruising game and then hopped on a flight to Queensland. The first half resembled circle work, mainly from the Bombers, and it wasn’t the lack of commitment which cost North, either. The Kangas couldn’t make the most of their moments. Ball use going inside was poor. They had 21 kicks going inside 50 in the first half and took four marks. They couldn’t put on, as David Parkin once termed it, scoreboard pressure when they controlled the game. They should’ve led by five goals at the half, but led by only 10 points, and when the Bombers found their necessary level of competitiveness in the second half, they always looked the winner. Like the Bombers, they badly need a forward to help Nick Larkey.
4. Joe and Lions fail the first test
Life without Eric Hipwood and Marcus Adams was too burdensome for the Lions.
They played Joe Daniher forward and not relief ruck, with that job going to Tom Fullarton. Still, Daniher played high and, going forward, coach Chris Fagan might have to leg-rope him to the goalpost to keep him deep.
Daniel McStay is a competitor in the air, but the Lions need a better target.
Daniher only took three marks for the game, two of them inside 50.
The Lions only took three marks inside 50, two of them to Daniher.
Fagan rightly could say Daniher wasn’t the lone issue in the forward line. Charlie Cameron, Linc McCarthy, Dayne Zorko, Zac Bailey, Keidean Coleman and McStay were average or worse.
But the spotlight is on Daniher and it is curious to see how Fagan deploys him – deep or high roaming forward.
5. Bad ol’ Saints
In the final quarter of a dreary game, the Saints had eight turnovers by foot and one by hand.
Port Adelaide was plucky in victory and the Saints sloppy in defeat and after recent wins against Brisbane, Collingwood and Richmond, it was desperately disappointing from the Saints.
In a tight game, Port kicked 2.3 in the final quarter from St Kida’s turnovers.
It’s not a big score, but the Saints robbed themselves of scoring opportunities.
Brad Hill turned the ball over twice and Port scored from both of them – a Dan Butler turnover was a goal and a Jack Sinclair turnover was a goal.
Inaccuracy also haunted them.
The main culprits being Rowan Marshall with 2.2, Luke Dunstan 0.1 from three shots and Dean Kent 0.1 from two shots.
It was a bad game from the finals aspirants.
6. As for the draw
Footy is an odd sport when draws can be played in the home-and-away season, but not in finals, where extra time is played to decide the winner.
It was flat for everyone at the siren in the Melbourne-Hawthorn game.
The Demons really were the losers and the Hawks the winners, but they each went away with two points.
Let’s end the dullness of draws and play extra time.
7. Cats stiffed again
They can’t get home finals and now, when no crowds are allowed at football, they can’t get a home game played at home. It makes a furphy of the argument that it’s all about crowds. The Cats were told by the AFL on Sunday night that the game was scheduled for the MCG and would stay there. The MCG wants the game. But the Cats deserve it. Where’s the integrity of competition? It’s a weird decision when you consider Hawthorn, North Melbourne and the Bulldogs sell games away from home, which means the remaining Victorian clubs have to fill the MCG and Marvel quota. And the Cats still can’t get a home game with no crowds. The AFL has looked after a ground ahead of looking after one of their clubs. It’s a poor decision and the Cats should be furious.
LIKES
1. Sammy The Great.
Wreck it Ralph named his best 20 players aged 22 and under last week and naturally had Sam Walsh at No.1. If he took away the “aged 22 and under’’, Walsh would push for top five overall in the competition. He is in the discussion with Marcus Bontempelli, Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver, Ollie Wines and Jack Steele and that group will be top of the pops in the Top 50 at season’s end. Walsh is extraordinary, so much so Patrick Dangerfield said last week Walsh could be among the best there ever was – the Roy Hobbs of football. The Blues steamed rolled Collingwood yesterday in the final quarter, led by Walsh, Harry McKay and an emotional Jack Silvagni. Walsh was in everything and it’s what he does away from stoppage that separates him from mostly everyone in the AFL. He 39 disposals at 79 per cent efficiency and killed the Pies on the spread.
2. Two-metre Peter.
It might be slight on Wright or on the Gold Coast Suns, but the career of Peter Wright has flourished since leaving. Maybe it’s a combination. The Bombers got him cheaply – a future fourth-round selection – which now looks criminal. There are moments when he can compete harder and there are moments when takes hold of a game. Yesterday was the latter. He had third most ranking points of his career (139), took seven marks and kicked three goals His challenge is to maintain the influence. He starred on Anzac Day and then was poor for the next three games. It should dawn on him by now that he is the immediate future in the Essendon forward line. This time next year, and unless the Bombers can find another key forward, Wright will be the No. 1 target. Can he consistently deliver after six years in the system?
3. New Hawk takes flight
Lachie Bramble started pre-season with Sunbury in the Ballarat league before Andy Collins asked him to play at Box Hill, and Bramble accepted the invitation.
An opportunity opened up for him to train at Hawthorn and he then grabbed the last list spot ahead of the SPP cut off.
On Saturday night, the 23-year-old played his fifth game and is getting better with every game.
He’s an outside player with serious leg speed, elite stamina and elite skill by foot.
He started as mid-forward and was moved to defence in the second half last week and played in defence against the Demons, adding another name to Hawthorn’s developing back six.
He had 18 disposals and five tackles and is proving to be a nugget from the hills of Sunbury.
4. Mission Impossible
Richmond’s win gives them a heartbeat, but the loss of Dustin Martin means the Tigers remain on death’s door in terms of winning the flag.
Losing their best runner in Kamdyn McIntosh is also a major setback, and with a bunch of midfielders still out, the Tigers hopped out of the fire and into the frying pan.
The positives were Toby Nankervis and Mabior Chol and, of course, Jack Riewoldt in his 300th game.
Nankervis makes the Tigers a far tougher unit. He had 18 contested possessions, which was 10 more than the next highest player in the team.
The performance of Chol as forward-ruck is why several clubs are chasing him next season, which includes Essendon.
His game was all the more meritorious because he spent half his time on the bench.
5. Jolly Ollie
Ollie Wines likely has nine Brownlow Medal votes from thee BOGs in past five games and his elevation to elite status, as predicted by coach Ken Hinkley in the pre-season, is complete.
He is not dazzling by foot, rather he’s a ball accumulator and takes territory.
All the bull midfielders – Patrick Cripps, Elliot Yeo, Jack Viney and Hugh Greenwood – are similar.
They win the hard ball and are often under pressure when they kick it.
Wines’s past seven games have produced 35, 29, 43, 29, 43, 33 and 36 possessions on Saturday.
With Travis Boak marginally dropping his numbers from last year, Wines has lifted his.
And that fact remains that those two need help in the middle as Port battles a hideous injury toll.
6. The amazing SamMenegola
He has to be one of the fittest players in the AFL.
He plays the wing position – or at least somewhere in the midfield – as good as any wingman in the competition.
He pushes into defence and moments later is part of the attack and has kicked nine goals this season.
This year, he is averaging 23 disposals and 359m gained. On player ratings, he was second to Adelaide’s Paul Seedsman coming into the round for all wingmen.
He’s no longer underrated, but at the same time, he doesn’t get the absolute accolades he deserves.
7. The other Bailey at the Bulldogs
Positions in the All-Australian D50 are being well discussed and every week Bailey Dale put himself in strong contention.
A minor problem for Dale is his lack of profile.
I don’t think many people would know Dale if he walked into the pub, whereas the likes of Daniel Rich, Christian Salem and Tom Stewart are easily recognisable and are commentators’ favourites.
Dale is a superb player.
The transformation is one story, going from forward to defence, and the other story is how much he has delivered in his new position.
Coming into the round, he was the highest-rated general defender and then added the performance against the Suns.
He had 30 disposals, which includes the kicks out, and 743m gained.
With Stewart, May, Jake Lever and probably Jacob Weitering as locks, Dale is the mix for the final two spots with Rich, Salem, Jake Lloyd, Jordan Ridley and Rich’s teammate Brandon Starcevich for a starting spot.
8. The old brigade
West Coast kept the chasers a step back with an accomplished performance in Adelaide, led by the veterans Naitanui, Hurn, Cripps, Gaff, Yeo and McGovern. Cripps was special. He kicked five goals and had 13 score involvements in his best game of the year, while Naitanui, in his 200th game, drew huge praise from Dermott Brereton. “He might be the best tap ruckmen we’ve ever seen,’’ Brereton told Fox Footy. The disappointment was yet another leg injury to Luke Shuey. He has a pandemic in his hamstring, and now it’s clad, and season 2021 has been a nightmare for him.
9. Half brilliant by the Swans
Down by 35 points in the first quarter, the Swans urged just before half-time time and eventually won by 26 points. That’s a 61-point turnaround. We knew the Giants were the most inconsistent team from week-to-week an on Sunday night they were inconsistent from half-to -half. Collectively, the Swans won every statistical aspect after the main break and, individually, Nick Blakey exploded in his new role across half-back. A dasher he is and he’s added even more speed to Swans. And so are the young bloods.
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Originally published as The Tackle: Mark Robinson’s AFL likes and dislikes from Round 18
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